Exhaust systems for moving vehicles are well known. In general, exhaust systems provide a means for dampening or muffling the noise level associated with exhaust gases exiting a combustion engine. However, different types of vehicles have different requirements for dampening the exhaust sound. For example, the object of racing vehicles is to move at a high rate of speed and win races. Because exhaust systems may limit the horsepower of an engine, racing vehicles often employ exhaust systems which minimize any loss of horsepower. As a result, racing exhaust systems tend to be excessively loud. On the other hand, passenger automobiles are designed to have a relatively low noise level for the exhaust system and typically employ mufflers to significantly dampen exhaust sounds. Other types of vehicles, such as sports cars, are often configured to have an exhaust sound with a noise level that is between the average automobile and the professional racing car.
Sports car enthusiasts often like to emphasize or “show off” their exhaust systems. One method of emphasizing an exhaust system is to mount exhaust pipes in locations that are readily viewable. For example, many “muscle cars” have exhaust pipes mounted on each side of the vehicle. Such side-mounted pipes may include a chromed outer surface to further emphasize the appearance of the exhaust system. Another method of emphasizing an exhaust system is to enhance the audible characteristics of the exhaust system. Such enhancements to the sound of an exhaust system may include raising the noise or volume level of the exhaust. Other enhancements may include changing the tone or range of tones of the exhaust system. For example, exhaust systems for “muscle” cars have been modified to produce deep, low frequency sounds. A deep sounding exhaust system is often intended to project to the listener that the car has a large and powerful engine. In addition, some exhaust sounds have such distinct qualities that manufacturers, such as Harley Davidson, have applied for trademark protection for the exhaust sounds of their vehicles.
For sports cars, various configurations of side pipe exhaust systems are available. However, the diversity of sounds produced by such systems is limited. As car enthusiasts desire methods of distinguishing their cars from the majority of other cars, there exists a need for an exhaust system which provides a unique sound that is deep in tone and dampened to meet legal and/or race track noise limitations.
Car enthusiasts often race their cars as a hobby. However, unlike their professional counterparts, car enthusiasts often require their cars to be used for general transportation in addition to racing. Thus there further exists a need for an exhaust system which both dampens the exhaust sounds to levels that are acceptable for general transportation needs, but minimizes the degradation of the power of the vehicle engine caused by restrictions to the flow of gases in the exhaust system.
Many modifications to exhaust systems require the replacement of large portions of the existing exhaust system to achieve the desired look, sound and performance for the vehicle. Unfortunately, such modifications may require custom bending of exhaust pipe and welding. Such modifications are both labor intensive and expensive. Thus, there exists a need for a method of modifying the sound and performance characteristics of an exhaust system, which can be performed relatively easily and quickly without the need for welding.